Put north of England ‘front and centre’ of net zero strategy, Reeves urged

The Riverside area of Sunderland. Experts said if net zero jobs were prioritised elsewhere it would ‘reinforce current disparities’ and leave cities such as Sunderland behind. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Guardian

Rachel Reeves has been urged to put the north of England at the heart of the UK’s net zero strategy as research shows the sector contributes a larger share of the region’s economy than it does nationally.

The Labour peer Julie Elliott said the north must be “front and centre” of the Treasury’s growth strategy for clean energy.